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How do you figure out electrical usage of a refrigerator?

We are looking at refrigeration and freezer equipment for a frozen yogurt store.

We have the following options:

208-230v, 3 phase, requiring 2 20-amp dedicated circuits for each machine.

208-230v, 3 phase, requiring 1 20-amp dedicated circuit for each machine.

208-230v, 1 phase, requiring 1 35-amp dedicated circuit for each machine

115v, 1 phase, requiring 1 35-amp dedicated circuit for each machine.

Is there any easy way to determine average running cost for the machines? I am finding that some are rated, for example, at 2.5kw or 4.1kw. What does this mean?

Thanks for your help.

Update:

To Meg - Rest assured that I am indeed a full grown adult. I am a registered nurse by trade but we are opening a yogurt store in California. My fiancee and I are trying to determine the most cost efficient way to run our store.

3 Answers

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  • xj-9
    Lv 4
    9 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    To determine an electronic device's electrical consumption: first, you see how many watts it will take for the device to operate. Secondly, you see how much your city/state is charging you (KWH/Kilo Watts per Hour). Note: your city/state charges you a certain amount in tiers; for example, you are charged .10 per KWH up to 10,000 KW used in a month, beyond that, say 10,001-15,000 KW used in a month, they will charge you .15 per KWH after 10,000 KW used, and beyond that, say 15,001-20,000 KW a month, they will charge you .20 per KWH after 15,000 KW used. So, in the example, if you use 10,001 KW in a month your bill would be $1,000.15 (.10 X 10,000 =1,000 and .15 X 1 = .15). Another note: commercial electrical usage is cheaper than residential electrical usage. Hope this helps!

  • Ecko
    Lv 7
    9 years ago

    The figures you have:

    Some refrigerators like this can have a separate compressor on different phases, or on the same phase, which is why some models are using 2 of the phases and others only 1. The power used is not directly related to these circuits you have given, as these are just standard wiring for supplies that supply "up to the rating".

    The figure for 115V @ 35A gives a sort of maximum that applies to all the models. This means 115V * 35A = up to 4KVA. The electrical KVA (Kilo Volt Amps)figure is like kW, but takes into account additional current used for power factor. It is the product of voltage and current in AC circuits. It is sometimes called "apparent power". These supply circuit figures are not that meaningful for power consumption, they are just the type of supply circuits used, to allow proper starting and operation without issues.

    The cooling capacity is measured in btu/h in the US but can also be specified in kW. The btu figure is often shortened to just BTU. This is to say a kW rating can be for cooling capacity or for electrical power use. This is the maximum rate that heat that can be removed by the mechanical power provided by the electric motor. This figure is usually 3 or 4 times the electrical power used, so easily distinguished.

    Electrical power is rated in kW or KVA. This might be determined from the supplier, or the name plate label on the unit, or the product brochure (perhaps on the web). If it is stated as KVA (the product of volts and amps), multiply by the power factor (likely 0.8) to get the kW rating. Electrical energy is in kWh. This is what you pay for, the electrical units. It is determined as the power * time in hours. Thus a 2.5kW rating running for 24 hours uses 2.5kW * 24h = 60kWh.

    The electrical power rating is the maximum power used. Thus it applies with the compressor running. This is not running continuously, so the actual energy used is the ratio of time the compressor is running to compressor off. With the compressor off, the power is probably around 100W or less, for heaters that prevent dew forming on parts of the body. The energy consumption depends how long the doors are open, how hot the room is and the temperature setting. It is a rubbery figure. It could be 80% of the time or 20% of the time, changes with summer and winter. A unit with larger cooling capacity (and using more power) does not necessarily consume much more power. It is off for longer periods, but cools more quickly.

    The practical way to compare units without testing in situ is the efficiency. This uses the cooling capacity in kW divided by the electrical input in kW. The conversion factor is 3414.4 BTU/h per kW of heat. The efficiency is sometimes called COP for co-efficient of performance. A typical COP figure is 3 or 4, with higher is better. The energy star system relates to this, and from looking at a few brochures this may be all you can find, so look up what the energy star ratings mean in your case.

  • Anonymous
    9 years ago

    You sound like a student trying to get answers to his/her homework.

    Go to class next time.

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